Many like my friend Jon used to think swimming was an impossible sport if you have to undergo ostomy surgery. Well, here is the catch, you don’t have to say goodbye to your swimming activity if you can spend some minutes in checking out ostomy swim wraps.

Peradventure, this is your first time of coming in contact with the term “ostomy” then it’s fair to say you have the following questions running in your mind: what is ostomy, how does it happen? And so on and so forth.

In this article you will be finding answers to these questions, all you have to do is read on.

What is Ostomy?

Ostomy is a surgery that involves making a hole in your stomach which allows urine and other bodily waste to be passed out. This opening is called the stoma and it is usually pink or red, and because it has no nerve ending it doesn’t cause pain.

This stoma is the pathway from an internal organ to the outside of your belly. A pouch is usually worn on the stoma to collect the urines and wastes that are passed out from this opening.

Depending on why you have to go for ostomy surgery, it could either be permanent or temporary.

 Now that you know what ostomy means, let’s check out its possible causes.

What causes Ostomy?

It may be recommended for you to undergo this surgery if you have cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. It may also be necessary for any of the following situations:

• A blocked bowel
• Inflammation of the tiny pouches on the colon i.e. Diverticulitis
• Injury to the digestive system
• A serious bowel disorder, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Urinary or Fecal incontinence

What are the types of Ostomy?

Basically, there are three types of ostomy: they are ileostomy, Urostomy, colostomy. 

Ileostomy: this is an opening from the ileum, which is the small intestine. The lowest part of the small intestine, which is also the ileum end is brought through this opening to form a stoma. 

This may be temporary or permanent, it is permanent in cases where the colon is completely damaged or infected by cancer. 

Urostomy: Urostomy is a general term for an opening in the abdominal wall. It causes urine to be diverted from a bladder that is damaged, diseased, or that is not working the way it should.

The diverted urine is passed through the stoma, you won’t have control over the excretion of urine so you will need to wear a pouch 24/7 to collect it as it comes out. Just like ileostomy, the stoma doesn’t hurt and it reduces in size over time.

Colostomy:  while ileostomy is done from the small intestine, a colostomy is done by bringing one end of the large intestine out through the abdominal wall to create a stoma through which wastes are passed into the pouch. Colostomy surgery is not usually permanent especially in children with birth defects.